ABSTRACT
In the aftermath of World War II, the troubling implications of an exclusionary mindset, defining some lives less worthy than others, became glaringly apparent. The soul-searing discovery of Nazi atrocities precipi - tated a broad-scale effort to clarify universal human rights and refine longneglected civil rights. The goal was to reshape the boundaries of protected life in a more inclusive fashion. Efforts emerged to clarify the dignity and autonomy of the individual and to untangle the knotty problem of whether all human life, all moments in life are equally worthy of living, protecting, and prolonging. The consequent debates were accompanied by significant controversy. They had been brewing for many years.
